1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a siding element having an appearance of log construction, and in particular to a metal seamless siding element, an apparatus for making the siding and a method of making the siding.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of siding for houses and other structures have been developed. Vinyl siding, aluminum siding and steel siding have all been developed as low maintenance or maintenance free siding options that do not require painting and other normal maintenance tasks. Some types of siding provide the additional advantage of being seamless, wherein siding elements are cut to a desired length spanning the entire distance from a corner or interruption in the siding to the next such occurrence. Seamless siding provides the advantages of uninterrupted siding that is more aesthetically pleasing. In addition, the lack of seams also provides greater protection from the elements and improved insulating properties.
In order to accommodate seamless siding, it is generally necessary to cut the siding that typically comes off a spool in a continuous coil of material at the site where the siding is being hung. Cutting length at the job site therefore requires a specialized cutting machine that is portable and that is typically trailered to the job site. In addition to providing an arc on the siding simulating log siding, such a device must also form the flange or mounting structure onto the siding panels. It can be appreciated that metal siding, which affords greater protection and wears better than vinyl siding, has special requirements in forming the siding due to its stiffness as opposed to vinyl siding that may be easily extruded or formed.
Although textured sidings, such as vinyl siding are well known, it is more difficult to form a textured harder siding element, such as metal siding from a blank coil of material. However, such formation improves the overall quality of the siding on the house or other structure if it is seamless. Providing texture to the siding encounters special problems when the siding is a metal siding as the material is generally quite hard and more difficult to emboss or texture than other siding materials. The additional weight and special handling required for metal siding from a spool requires additional considerations for forming such panels from continuous metal material.
In order to create an appearance similar to log structures, it is necessary to provide a textured and arcing profile to siding elements. Providing an arc to the element for a seamless siding system is especially difficult as the material must be formed by a portable device at the job site. In addition, the material with its arcing profile must be cut to length at the job site. In addition to putting the arc in the siding elements, the flanges for attaching to the structure and to the aligning and engaging adjacent upper and lower edges of siding elements is also needed. Providing flanges and texture and an arc all with a portable device is a special challenge for seamless metal siding.
It can be seen that a new and improved metal siding system is needed that provides the aesthetically pleasing appearance of a log structure. In addition, such a system should provide a seamless siding system wherein the siding elements are cut to the required length needed for the structure at the job site. A feasible device and method for making such siding elements is needed. In addition to providing an arc and flange, such a device and system should impart texture for improved strength and aesthetics. The present invention addresses these as well as other problems associated with seamless metal siding having the appearance of logs.